Automatic device for controlling the signal-lights of vehicles.



W. S. MENDEN. v

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR GONTROLLING THE SIGNAL LIGHTS 0F VEHICLES.

APPLICATION'FILED DEC.2| I913.

Patented Jan.'8,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I wva wto z sa a w. s. MENDEN.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE SIGNAL LIGHTS 0F VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED DEC-2.1913.

1,252,8Q5, Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. S. MENDEN.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR CONTROLUNG THE SIGNAL LIGHTS 0F VEHICLES. APPLICATiON FILED 050.2. 1913.

1,252,825. Patented Jan. 8,1918.

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J mmm 554 51 WWW W. S. MENDEN.

0R CONTROLLING THE SIGNAL UGHTS or VEHICLES.-

AUTOMATIC DEVICE F r APPLICATION FILED DEC.2.19I3.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Patented J an. 8, 1918.

WHEE %TATES FATENT WILLIAIVL S. MENDEN, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MEGOSIN COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YCRK.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE Fort oonrnoinms THE SIGNAL-LIGHTS or VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters .Patent Patented J an. 8, 1918.

Appliance filed December 2, 191a; serial-ins: 864,225.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \VILLI'AM S. MENDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented oer tain new and useful Improvements in Auto matic Devices for Controlling the Signal- Lights of Vehicles, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

This invention relates to an automatic device for controlling the signal lights of vohicles, and has for its primary object to provide an improved device of this character according to which at each reversal in the direction of travel of a vehicle, the signals carried by said vehicle will be automatically changed to correspond. A further object is to provide an improved system according to which electric lights can be efficiently and safely employed and rendered unfailing in service. One of the objects ofthe present invention is to adapt a system of this character to be temporarily employed over certain zones of travel such as when passing through tunnels in the day time. Another obj ect is to provide improved means whereby the signals are made to indicate danger during the time the motorman may be passing from one end to the other of such vehicles as rapid transit cars. Other and further objects will appear in the specification and be pointed out in the appended claims, reference being hadto the accompany'ing drawings exemplifying my inven tion in it's'adap'tation to rapid transit cars.

In the drawings,"

Figure l is a diagram of a two-car system slowing the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagram of a single car system;

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the normally energized parts when the vehicle is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow, those parts which are not in action being omitted for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the wiring arrangement according to a modified embodiment of my invention in which the signaling system is rendered operative and inoperative alternately to correspond to different zones of travel, such as tunnels and the like during the daylight hours;

Fig. 5 is a diagram similar to that shown in Fig. 3. illustrating the active circuits of the'embodiment shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is detail diagrarhofportions of the main opera-ting control and lighting oir cu-its According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, a source of energy or power is pro vided in the form of a storage battery 1 which is grounded by a wire 2 in a line 3, which is common to the several circuits to be hereinafter referred to. Leading from the battery 1, is a wire 4 provided with a fuse 6, this line being joined to a conductor 7 which is preferably permanently connected to the automatic selective devices represented in the present embodiment by the rotary drums 8 and 9. Each of the rotary drums 8 and 9 is provided with a pair of oppositely presented contact arms 10 and 11, which project radially from the axis of the drum 8. When the drum 8 (or 9) is rotated upon its axis, the contact arm 10 will be moved from the fixed contact at the end of a line 12 which terminates in a fixed contact 13, while the other arm 11 will be moved into engagement with a fixed contact at the end of a wire 14 which is connected to a wire 15, comprising branches which respectively extend to the s gnals 16 and 17, said signals preferably being ofthe same character. Spaced from the contact 13 is another fixed contact 18 which is connected to a wire 19, comprising oppositely extending branches leading respectively to signals 20 and 21. A movable plate or armature 22 is adapted under certain conditions to be hereinafter referred to, to close the gap between the fixed con tacts 13 and 1.8. Signals 16 and 20 are connected by a branch 23 with a wire 24 which is grounded in the common line 3. In a like manner, s gnals 17 and 21 are connected by a wire 25 with a wire 26 which is also grounded in the common wire 3. Another extension 27 of the line 7 is suitably disposed to be connected by a switch 28 with a marker signal 30 which is grounded in the wire 26. A branch wire 31 leads from the wire 29 to a marker signal 32 which is grounded by the wire 24. All of the signals 16. 17, 20. 21. 30 and 32 are preferably in the form of lights which are energized whenever the circuits including them and the source of power 1 is closed in the manner to be hereinafter pointed out. The circuits just described. are those corresponding to one end only of each vehicle, said source in the present embodiment of my invention beingv duplicated for controlling the energization of the signals on the other end of each vehicle. According to Fig. 1 therefore, all of that portion of the diagram to the left of the dotted line A'B represents the wirin circuits for one vehicle, while that portion to the right of line A-B represents another vehicle which. is coupled to the first vehicle. The circuits shown to the right of the line A-B, being in the present embodiment exact duplicates of those shown to the left, need not be described in detail. Each of the bridging contacts or plates 22 is suitably constructed and mounted so that when that end of the vehicle upon "which they are connected, is not coupled to an adjacent vehicle, it will be automatically retained in a position in which the gapbetween fixed contents 13 and 18 is closed. On the other hand whenever two vehicles are coupled together, the relative position of said vehicles will cause the plates or contacts 22 to be forced away from the fixed contacts 13 and 18 as indicated at the center of Fig. 1. In order to make the operation of the present embodiment of my invention clear, the signals 16 and 17 are assumed to be white lights, while the signals 20 and 21 are assumed to be red lights.

Referring to Fig. 2 which indicates the relative positions of the parts on a single vehicle traveling toward the left, the signal lights on the forward end of the vehicle will accordingly be white, while those on the rear end will be red. The drum 8 will therefore be rotated into a position in which the contact arm ll engages the fixed contact at the extremity of wire 14, closing a circuit including battery 1, line 4, wire 7, forward drum 8, wire 1.5,,signals 16 and 17 and ground line 3. At the same time a circuit for the rear end of the vehicle will be closed, including battery 1, line 4, wire 7, drum 9, wire 12, bridge plate 22 which normally closes the gap between the contacts 13 and 18 and red lights 20 and 21, which are grounded in the ground wire 3. If the marker lights and 32 are to be in service, the switches 28 are in positionto close the gap between the respective extensions 27 and the wires 29, thus closing circuits at opposite ends of the vehicle, including battery 1, line 7, switches 28, markers 30 and 32 and ground line 3. It will be seen therefore that on a single Vehicle, the signal lights which indicate the forward and rear ends of the vehicle respectively, will be continuously energized from the source of power 1. In order to render this system entirely independent of the motorman or other operator, the selective device such as the drum 8, may be suitably mounted and arranged to be entirely automatic in its action. For example, said drum 8 may be permanently connected with the reversing switch of the motor as shown in Fig. (3 of thedrawings. Forthis and the negative wire 59 which is connected up by means of the conductors 58 carried by the controller stafi 56 and oscillated by handle 57. iVhen the reverse staffs atopposite ends of the .vehicle are in positions to cause the vehicle to move in one direction, the contacts 10 and 11 will be automatically arranged to provide currents to the white lights on the forward end and to the red lights on the rear end of said vehicle. The operation of the circuits in Fig, 1 are substantially similar to Fig. 2 with this exception; when the adjacent ends of two ve hicles are coupled together, the contact plates 22 are moved away from positions in which they bridge contacts 13 and 1.8 with the result that, the signal lights between the vehicles which would ordinarily be ener: gized, have their ener izing circuits broken so that all lights between the vehicles are, automatically shut off. The energized circuits for a vehicle moving in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3 are illustrated detached in said figure. Referring now to the embodiment shownin Fig. 4, the wiring circuits are substantially similar to the foregoing embodiments. In 7 this embodiment however, the battery 1 is connected by a line 4 with a fixed contact 33 which is spaced from anotherfixed contact 34 which is connected by a wire 35 with the line7.v The purpose of this construction is to, provide suitable means for rendering the signal energizing circuits operative during certain zones of travel such as subways or tunnels, during the daylight hours, and which construction will enable these circuits to he automatically rendered inoperative during other zones of travel of the vehicle. Means for accomplishing this purpose can be provided in the form of a beam 36, which is pivoted at 37 andhas a conducting portion 38, which is adapted to bridge the gap between the fixed contacts 33 and 34 whenever the plunger 39 is moved upwardly under the impulse imparted to the roller 40 mounted 1 on the lower end of said plunger by a cam bar 41, which can be disposed alongthe route-of the vehicle at any suitable point corresponding to a zone of action. Inthe diagrammatic showing of Fig. 4 asecond plunger 42 may be arranged to engage the bar 36 to the right of its pivot when said plunger 42 is forced upwardly by an impulse'delivered to the roller 43 on its lower end by another cam barv similar to that.

shown at 41. The plunger 42 with its cooperating cam bar may be disposed to one side of the plunger 39 so as to prevent confusion in these operations. The active circuits of the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 are represented detached in Fig. 5.

What I claim is:

1. In a system for controlling signals on a Vehicle, the combination of a source of power, a signal, means for automatically connecting said signal with said source of power and disconnecting it therefrom, and other means whereby said system is rendered operative for certain zones of travel and inoperative for other zones of travel.

2. In a vehicle, lights of different colors, at one end of said vehicle, lights of different colors at the other end of said vehicle, direction-controlling means at each end of the vehicle capable of assuming forward or off position, and circuits under the control of said direction-controlling means for energizing lights of different colors at opposite ends of said vehicle, when said direction-controlling means at opposite ends are respectively in forward and oif positions.

3. In a vehicle, lights of different colors at one end of said vehicle, lights of different colors at the other end of said vehicle, direction-controlling means at each end of the vehicle capable of assuming forward or off positions, and circuits under the control of said direction-controlling means for energizing lights of different colors at opposite ends of said vehicle when said direction-controlling means at opposite ends are respectively in forward and ofi' positions, said circuits being adapted to energize only lights of the same color at both ends of the vehicle when the direction-controlling means at both ends of the vehicle are in off position.

4. The combination with a vehicle, of signals of different characters at each end of said vehicle, a reverse staff at each end of the vehicle, means operated by the movements of said reverse staffs for selectively operating said signals, and means for automatically cutting out the lights on the rear end of said vehicle when another vehicle is coupled thereto.

5. The combination With a pair of vehicles adapted to be coupled together, of a reverse staff at each end of each of said vehicles, signals of different characters at each end of each of said vehicles, means operated by the movements of said reverse staffs for selectively operating said signals, and means for coupling the circuits of one vehicle with those of the other vehicle, said coupling means being adapted to automatically cut out the lights on the adjacent ends of said vehicles.

VILLIAM S. MENDEN. \Vitnesses W M. A. COURTLAND, A. 0. Known Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

